ECYS Minister Gumbs convened inaugural Youth Cabinet meeting

GREAT BAY--On Thursday, February 12, 2026, Minister of Education, Culture, Youth and Sport Melissa Gumbs convened the inaugural meeting of her Youth Cabinet at the Government Administration Building, formally launching a structured platform intended to give secondary school students direct access to policy discussion and national decision making.

Although some representatives were absent due to travel or illness, those in attendance received an introduction to the Ministry of Education, Culture, Youth and Sport and how the ministry is organized. The session included timed two-minute “pitch” rounds by division and department heads, who introduced themselves, explained their responsibilities, and outlined what their divisions and departments are focused on at this time. The introductory meeting concluded with a brief tour of the fourth floor and the Minister’s cabinet offices.

The inaugural session was designed as an orientation and, as previously communicated, it was the only Youth Cabinet meeting planned with an agenda set by the Minister’s cabinet. Going forward, Youth Cabinet members are expected to set their own agenda points, guiding the issues they want to raise and discuss as part of the initiative.

The Youth Cabinet was introduced as a forum aimed at strengthening youth participation in public policy discussions, with the intention that student priorities can be translated into action or aligned with work already underway within the ministry.

The ministry previously invited secondary schools to nominate one student representative and one alternate to serve on the Youth Cabinet for the 2025 to 2026 school year, describing the initiative as an advisory body meant to provide hands-on exposure to governance, leadership development, and policy dialogue.

The Youth Cabinet has been positioned as a mechanism for structured, meaningful youth participation, with the expectation that it functions as more than a symbolic exercise and instead serves as a channel through which student perspectives can inform decisions affecting education and youth development in St. Maarten.

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